Island Getaway
by hughville
Summary: House and Cameron go on vacation together. Set between S1 and S2.


Sunlight pours in through the blinds of House's office causing bars of light to fall on the floor and across his desk. Outside fat white clouds sail across a bright blue sky. Inside House listens to his team as they make plans for their vacations.  
"So, where are you headed?" Chase asks either Foreman or Cameron. Probably Cameron since he follows her around like a lost puppy hoping for a head scratch or some other treat. Idiot.  
"California to visit some old friends," Foreman answers. "You?"  
"Hawaii to do some surfing. Still don't want to come with me, Cameron?" Chase asks with a slightly playful, slightly pleading tone.  
"No."  
A slight smile crosses House's face. He loves hearing her shut Chase down.  
"So, where are you headed?" Foreman asks her.  
House leans forward, folding his hands on his desk.  
"Nowhere special," she responds. House can hear the deliberate breeeziness in her tone. He's immediately on alert.  
"Well, I'm off," Chase says. "See you in two weeks."  
A moment later he sticks his head in to House's office. House looks up from the medical journal spread open on his desk. There is always one open so they won't know he listens to them.  
"See you in two weeks," Chase tells him.  
House nods and Chase leaves. He hears Foreman tell Cameron good-bye and then leave without telling him good-bye. Typical. He leans back and folds his hands behind his head. Several minutes pass and Cameron enters his office. She leans against the door and looks at him. The sunlight from the outer office casts a glow around her.  
"I'm leaving now," she tells him.  
He nods. Turning, she walks away. House gets up and watches her walk to the elevator. Once she is gone, he heads to Wilson's office. He flings the door open and Wilson looks up from the pile of paperwork on his desk.  
"You leaving now?" Wilson asks him.  
"Yep."  
House stares long and hard at him, looking for some sign that Wilson knows since Wilson always knows.  
"See you in two weeks," Wilson says before going back to work.  
House returns to his office, grabs his bag and leaves without a second look.  
A slight smile curves Wilson's lips as he continues to work.

The airport is crowded and House sits near the boarding desk with his ear buds shoved in his ears, letting the sound of Lead Belly block out all the noise from the other travelers. A hand touches his shoulder and electricity flows from the point of contact through his body causing heat to rise in him. He pulls out his ear buds and looks up into Cameron's smiling face.  
"We can board now," she tells him bending down to pick up his bag.  
Grabbing his cane, he stuffs the ear buds in his pocket and pushes himself up. He follows Cameron on to the plane. Once they are seated in first class, Cameron takes out a book and begins to read. House rests his hand on her thigh and goes to sleep.  
After what seems like a minute, he feels soft lips touch his ear. "We've landed," Cameron whispers in his ear. He blinks and turns to look at her. She smiles, kisses him lightly and gets up. Gathering their bags, she steps out into the aisle. House rises with a groan and follows her off the plane.

They spend the next two weeks in a luxury bungalow on a secluded beach on St. Thomas. They make love each day before going out to swim or simply watch the ocean water slide back and forth on the sand. They speak only when necessary and House enjoys the silence and solitude with her. Cameron is undemanding and seems to enjoy the quiet as much as he.  
On the last day, she is packing up their bags. Her skin is the color of honey and her hair is streaked with wheaten strands among the brown.  
House lounges on the bed and watches her. He waits for her to speak; to ask him what he expects when they return to Princeton. Instead, she smiles at him occasionally and remains silent. In a way, he's glad she doesn't ask because he honestly doesn't know what he wants when they return. The past two weeks with her are the best he's experienced in his life. A part of him wants to stay here and never go back. Another part knows that isn't possible.

Once back at the hospital, things return to normal. Foreman and Chase spend a couple days trying to get Cameron to tell them where she went but she simply smiles and changes the subject. Soon they have a patient; a death row inmate who is dying. While they work the case, Cameron tries to get House to take on a young woman with terminal lung cancer. When he refuses, she becomes angry and lashes out at him. When she storms out of his office, House wonders if he imagined the time they spent on the island. He wonders if it meant more to him than it did to her. He never asks her and they never speak of it.


End file.
